6 in 7 Drivers Say They Always Buckle Up

Below:

Next story in Science

Seat belt use has become the norm in most states, according to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with 85 percent
of drivers nationwide saying they use a seat belt when driving or
riding in a vehicle.

Rates of seat belt use do vary significantly by state, however,
the CDC found. Oregon drivers have the highest reported rate, at
94 percent, while North Dakota's 59 percent is the lowest,
according to a report by the agency.

"A simple step that most
drivers and passengers in the United
States already take – buckling their seat belts – cuts in half
the chance of being seriously injured or
killed in a crash," said CDC Director Thomas Frieden. "Yet
about one in seven adults do not wear a seat belt on every trip."

Every 14 seconds, an adult in the U.S. is treated in an
emergency department for crash-related injuries, according to
the CDC.

The study found that in the states with primary enforcement laws
– which allow police to pull over cars and issue tickets solely
because motorists are unbelted – the overall rate of seat belt
use is 88 percent. States with secondary enforcement laws – which
allow police to issue seat belt tickets only after drivers
have been pulled over for another reason – had
a reported rate of 79 percent.